SEATTLE, June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is
on track to save 87 gallons of fuel, shorten flight times by about
nine minutes and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 1 metric ton,
every time one of its planes land at Seattle-Tacoma International
Airport using new, operations-enhancing Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) procedures. That's the equivalent to the
amount of carbon dioxide produced from driving about 1,800
miles in a passenger car, according to a new Boeing Company
report. The benefits are about 28 percent greater than what
was initially projected in 2010.
Typically large airports like Sea-Tac require planes landing on
parallel runways to maintain either a 3-mile lateral or 1,000-foot
vertical separation on approach into the airport until they are
lined up with the runway. Since April, equipped and trained
carriers, such as Alaska, can land
at Sea-Tac with pinpoint precision with just half the lateral
separation, before they are lined up with the runway. The key
benefit of reduced separation is increased airspace efficiency.
"About 80 percent of the aircraft landing at Sea-Tac are
equipped with avionics to use the Greener Skies approaches and can
take advantage of the cost and environmental benefits of flying
more efficiently," said Gary Beck,
vice president of flight operations for Alaska Airlines. "This
project is proof that when airlines partner with the FAA and air
traffic controllers, airplane manufacturers and airports, great
things can happen. What we've done here in Seattle is a blueprint for how our industry
can help modernize the national airspace for future
generations."
Implementing the final phase of the seven-year "Greener Skies
Over Seattle" initiative allows an aircraft on West side approaches
to Sea-Tac, and landing south, to fly the most environmentally
friendly track over Elliott Bay.
These aircraft can fly the approach procedure to the runway
concurrently with another aircraft on the parallel runway in both
high and low visibility conditions alike. Alaska estimates the new flying is saving the
airline about $200 in fuel per
flight.
If all equipped airlines at Sea-Tac used the Greener Skies
procedures on all flights from the southwest landing south, it
would cut fuel consumption by 2.7 million gallons a year and reduce
carbon emissions by 25,600 metric tons, the equivalent of taking
5,400 cars of the road each year. As the use of the procedures
increase, so do the environmental benefits.
"The Port of Seattle is glad to
be a partner in this effort to reduce the environmental footprint
of our airport and create increased efficiencies for current flight
corridors that benefit operations and surrounding communities,"
said Mike Ehl, Sea-Tac Airport
director of operations and customer service. "Whenever we consider
airport improvements our goal is to be the most energy efficient we
can be."
The procedures implemented in Seattle can also be used at certain U.S.
airports that have comparable runway configurations, including
Portland International
Airport.
Typically, commercial aircraft follow a series of stair-step
descents and a lengthy approach pattern before landing. With
"Greener Skies," airlines use satellite technology and a continuous
descent to go from cruising altitude to the airport runway, along a
shorter flight path, at low power, which also reduces travel
time.
"Flying more precise approach procedures will help Alaska
Airlines and others achieve greater operational efficiency, by
reducing fuel consumption, flight times and emissions," said
Julie Felgar, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes managing director of environmental strategy and
integration. "The Greener Skies initiative is leading the way to
establish environmentally progressive procedures for the next
generation of flight."
The "Greener Skies" procedures are part of the FAA's Next
Generation Air Transportation System, replacing legacy ground-based
equipment with satellite-based technology and aircraft navigation
capabilities.
"The NextGen procedures that we're implementing nationwide and
here in the Seattle area are
helping to create a better environment while improving safety and
efficiency," said FAA Northwest Mountain Regional Administrator
Kathryn Vernon. "By reducing fuel
burn, they're helping to reduce greenhouse gases while providing
benefits to everyone who uses the airspace system - from airlines
and general aviation operators to tourists, business travelers and
cargo shippers."
Alaska Airlines pioneered the technology being used in the
"Greener Skies" initiative in the mid-1990s to help its planes land
at some of the world's most remote and geographically challenging
airports in the state of Alaska.
Required Navigation Performance, or RNP, provides precise runway
paths by using a combination of onboard navigation technology and
the GPS satellite network. It improves safety and reliability in
all weather, and reduces reliance on ground-based navigation aids.
Alaska Airlines currently uses RNP procedures at 30 U.S.
airports.
In addition to Seattle,
Alaska and its sister airline,
Horizon, are working with the FAA to increase use of similar
procedures in Portland, Oregon,
where RNP is helping equipped carriers fly more direct routes that
burn less fuel, and reduce overhead noise and travel time. On a
typical day, NextGen procedures are saving Alaska Airlines 45
gallons of fuel per flight, or the CO2 savings
equivalent to driving 950 miles a passenger vehicle.
In addition to using NextGen procedures at airports in the
Pacific Northwest, Alaska is
leading the industry in environmental responsibility and its
investments are paying off. Alaska
has been ranked highest for fuel efficiency four years in a row
among major North American airlines by the International Council on
Clean Transportation. Alaska has
set an ambitious goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 20
percent by 2020 (on a per passenger mile basis). Learn more about
these initiatives at http://www.alaskaair.com/sustainability.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK),
together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100
cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in
Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North
American Airline Satisfaction Study for eight consecutive years
from 2008 to 2015. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked
"Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards
Programs" in the J.D. Power 2014 and 2015 Airline Loyalty/Rewards
Program Satisfaction Report. For reservations, visit
www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska
Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines